Why do large companies forget customer service?

Ring Ring... Ring Ring!

I could already guess who to expect, but I picked up the receiver anyway. "Hello?"

"This is a pre-recorded message. Do NOT hang up!"

(The telephone receiver is already back in the cradle).

Even though the call was probably quite important, if the company calling me up (10 times throughout the day, I should add!) can't even be bothered to get a REAL person to call me then I am not going to listen to some pre-recorded message!

- This is an example of one way I think a company shows a complete lack of customer service!

Image: Graur Razvan Ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I have read a good deal of blogs and articles about starting up and running a small business. Most of the share the same conclusion: Customer service is very important to keeping your business running.

Sadly though, it appears that bad customer service is becoming far more regular. It also appears to me that the larger a company becomes, the less effort is spent on providing good customer service for their customers.

With a huge emphasis on sales and marketing to attract new customers, businesses tend to forget how to keep their existing ones happy.

So my question is how can large businesses afford to upset so many of their customers and yet stay in business?

The simple answer is larger businesses have enough new customers constantly coming through their door to keep them ticking over. Once customers have paid their upfront installments, the business can treat the customer how it likes.

As soon as you have signed a deal with them, they have the opportunity to let you down, and somehow make sure that their failings are your fault!

If you speak to anybody about companies they have dealt with, chances are they will have a story about at least one business that has really let them down... (I certainly have!)
If a business really lets you down, the chances are you would highly recommend that everyone else avoids them!

Do you have any companies you would avoid at all costs? I know you do! Leave your comments below.

- TheLittlerich